Food brings back memories from the past, and it introduces a culture to those who are unfamiliar. At ‘Jak Ma’an!’, the menu is intentionally curated to bring the flavours of the olden days to the present, and bring people of different walks of life together.
A taste of village in the heart of Cat City
There is something about food that evokes memories. For Magdalene Rosalind Crocker, it was “linut”, which she recalled enjoying with her mother and grandmother. “Grandma would share with us stories from the Japanese war when we have linut. She would say that she had to hide underground, and their only food was the tapioca plant. They would then make linut from the tapioca starch,” she said.
Although Magdalene’s grandmother had since passed away, she and her family members would still gather round to have linut together. They would enjoy the translucent, chewy starch with tempoyak (fermented durian) soup.
That memory, along with countless others, is what inspired Magdalene to produce the menus at her newly-opened “Jak Ma’an!” Bidayuh-oriented restaurant.
The restaurant, which began operation in April this year, is jointly operated by Magdalene alongside her husband, Nick Jansen. The couple, when met, explained that Jak Ma’an! was also aimed at the cultural preservation of food, especially ones from the Bidayuh culture.
“Kuching is known as the creative city of gastronomy. But, we noticed that we can hardly find authentic Bidayuh kampung food. When we introduced Rebung (bamboo shoot) and Terung Dayak to our Chinese customers, they were surprised and some even said that they had never tasted them before,” revealed Magdalene.
That was also one of the reasons that Magdalene became determined to reintroduce the Bidayuh food culture, especially to city folks. In this new age, as well as the development of food trends which produced a lot of fusion flavours, she expressed concern that it is becoming harder to find authentic local flavours, and about how important it is for the younger generations to uphold culture and traditions.
Nick echoed the same sentiment and stressed the importance of culture, “I believe that when people keep their cultural identity and know about their culture, they would also know about their history. You can learn about everything else in the world, but your own identity is very important,” he said.
“One of the best ways to discover it is through food. We can all connect through food. When people come here, they would not only try our food but also the tuak and langkau (traditional alcoholic drinks) that are available here. And conversation over drinks is always a good way to rekindle or create memories.”
According to the husband and wife, their alcoholic beverages are home-brewed by Bidayuhs from the village. Apart from that, specialty foods like tempoyak are also obtained from the village. The couple prioritises getting the supplies directly from the local community, not just to keep the taste authentic, but also to promote sustainability by helping the community and small businesses.
The place
Located at Carpenter Street, Kuching, Magdalene revealed that they chose the area in order to attract more tourists to try authentic Dayak food. While renovating the shop lot, they tried to preserve the building as much as they could due to its historical significance.
With the vision of having a village-themed kitchen and dining area, the couple curated the interior to be as close as possible to having the village feel. From wooden tables to the casually-designed chairs to the lighting — Nick and Magdalene ensured that every detail in the restaurant is a reminder of the longhouse.
At the restaurant, customers often opt for Jak Ma’an!’s signature Ayam Pansuh, which is cooked the Bidayuh way. They also come for the variety of fried rice and tempoyak, which is hard to find elsewhere.
“Many times, we would have adventurous people wanting to try our Ulat Sago (Sago larvae) dish. It is one of our most popular snacks, and our chef would prepare it with some garlic and ginger,” Magdalene said.
Apart from the food and beverage, Jak Ma’an! also holds live band performances from time to time. The performers would play traditional instruments like the tapi, sape and others.
So whether it is merrymaking over food and tuak, or immersing oneself in the atmosphere of being in the kampung in the middle of the city, Jak Ma’an! warmly welcomes everyone to enjoy and have a taste of authentic Bidayuh flavours and culture.
